Albany quarterback Tommy Grady celebrates a score in the Empire's 57-56 overtime victory over Washington in their Arena Football League playoff game on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Courtesy of Albany Empire)

Albany quarterback Tommy Grady celebrates a score in the Empire's 57-56 overtime victory over Washington in their Arena Football League playoff game on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Courtesy of Albany Empire)

Image 2 of 4

Albany quarterback Tommy Grady tries to escape the Washington defense in the Empire's 57-56 overtime win in the first round of the playoffs in Washington on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Courtesy of Albany Empire)

Albany quarterback Tommy Grady tries to escape the Washington defense in the Empire's 57-56 overtime win in the first round of the playoffs in Washington on Saturday, July 14, 2018. (Courtesy of Albany Empire)

Image 3 of 4

Malachi Jones and Joe Hills celebrate an early Albany touchdown in the Empire's 57-56 overtime win over Washington on Saturday, July 14, 2018.

Malachi Jones and Joe Hills celebrate an early Albany touchdown in the Empire's 57-56 overtime win over Washington on Saturday, July 14, 2018.

Photo: A

Image 4 of 4

Empire take first game of playoff series 57-56 in overtime

1 / 4

Back to Gallery

Washington

Forty-eight minutes of back and forth wasn't enough.

The Albany Empire would grab a one-touchdown lead, and the Washington Valor would answer on their next possession.

Ultimately, it was a two-point conversion on a pass from Empire quarterback Tommy Grady to Gregg Carr in in overtime that gave Albany a 57-56 win in the first game of the two-game, total points series at Capital One Arena in Washington on Saturday evening.

But in this year's Arena Football League playoffs, a loss doesn't put the Valor out. It merely means they have to win next weekend, when they face the Empire for the sixth time this year, and if they win by more than one point, they'd move on to the Arena Bowl.

The Valor, who went 2-10 over the course of the regular season, had lost each of their four games against the Empire and were outscored by a total of 76 points in those four games.

"I think people maybe thought we were going to come in here and win by 42 points, and then go home and have a party and dress our second-teamers and go on to the Arena Bowl," said Empire head coach Rob Keefe following the game. "There's too much talk about the Arena Bowl."

Keefe said that his team respected Washington, and expected a tighter game than the Valor had given them during the regular season.

"We just got their best, and in Arena ball, that ball bounces in funny ways," Keefe said. "We're very fortunate that we came out of here with the win."

Overtime was something the Empire hadn't experienced this season.

"I kinda like the fact that we had this happen to us," Keefe said. "It makes us grow up, it makes us more mature, and we're 100 percent going to be ready next week."

Malachi Jones led the Empire with 11 receptions for 167 yards and four touchdowns.

"I knew coming in I was going to have play better than I played in the regular season," Jones said. "I did grow up a little bit. I just took it on myself to be the best player I could be tonight."

With just less than a minute remaining in regulation, a pass from Empire quarterback Tommy Grady found the hands of wide receiver Joe Hills crossing the end zone to give Albany a 48-42 lead. Washington answered right back when Reggie Gray hauled in his third touchdown pass of the game from Arvell Nelson with 47.1 seconds to play.

On the next series, on second down and 10 at the Empire 23, Grady, flushed from the pocket, tossed the ball away but couldn't get it to the seats, resulting in an intentional grounding call that forced Kenny Spencer to attempt a 37-yard field goal.

Spencer missed right, giving Washington the ball with three seconds on the clock, but Albany sacked Nelson as time expired.

Washington started overtime with the ball, and Nelson threw three incomplete passes before a holding penalty on Empire defensive back Varmah Sonie gave the Valor a fresh set of downs with the ball on the 15-yard line. They'd grab a 55-49 lead, their first of the night, eight plays later when Reggie Gray caught a touchdown pass on a crossing route, and Washington would add an extra point.

With the Empire on the Valor 7-yard line, Hills grabbed his second touchdown pass of the game from Tommy Grady to draw Albany within one.

While the two-point conversion may seem like a gutsy call, Keefe noted that because of the relative ease of scoring in the Arena game, it's a better call than an extra point.

"The reason you do is because the next possession is sudden death, so you're kicking the ball back to the other team," Keefe said. "They get the ball back at, say, the 15-yard line, and they can go 10 yards, kick a field goal and win the game."

Notebook: Empire defensive back Terrence Smith left the game with 4:54 left in the first quarter after making a tackle on Washington's Gray along the wall. Smith suffered a neck injury and was taken off on a stretcher. Keefe said Smith would be returning to Albany with the team following the game. ... Hills' score in the fourth quarter extended his six-season-long streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to 93.